The Outsiders - Slow Down, Darrel (Darry Curtis)

TWO: Stickin' Around

After waiting out the storm, the sun finally started to show. Madeline and Darry weren't sure whether they were relieved or disappointed that they no longer had an excuse to just sit there.

"So, what do you say Mad?" Darry was giving a handsome grin, "Come over? Please."

"I guess we could for a while," she said, giving into his smile.

They each picked one of the twins up and walked to the car. Madeline drove to the Curtis house, and was happy to see it unchanged.

The door was still unlocked, just as it always had been. They walked in, Jack half-asleep in Darry's arms, Graham walking by her side.

"I'm home!" Darry called, "And I brought a surprise!"

She could hear the footsteps barreling through the house. They halted when they reached her at the door.

"Madeline!" Steve and Soda were the first to react, running towards her and lifting her high in the air together, and then wrapping her in a hug, which Two-Bit jumped on right away.

"Hi Maddie," Ponyboy smiled.

She ruffled his hair and pulled him in for a hug, "Hey kid," she looked up to see Johnny standing behind Pony and reached her arm out to hug him as well.

"Hey doll," Dally came out from around the corner, "How ya doin'?"

"Dallas." She said with a reluctant smile, "Glad to see you're still the same hood I left behind."

Sodapop and Steve already had one twin each, they always loved those boys. Madeline called them their minis. Jack and Graham were loving every second of being back with their 'big brothers', and Madeline was happy to sit on something more comfortable than a booth or the hard floor.

She found herself drifting off to sleep, she hadn't realized how tired she was.

And after a while, knowing her brothers were safe and sound, she fell asleep. Darry sitting next to her smiling a little, she was lying against him asleep, her head on his shoulder.

"You look mighty happy there Darrel," Soda teased. Darry only shook his head and smiled, and maybe even blushed a little. "I tell ya what, you stay there and snuggle your girl, Pony and me'll take care of dinner tonight," Soda grinned as he walked backwards into the kitchen.

Darry grinned as Soda chased Jack into the kitchen where Steve and Graham were waiting. He was glad to stay with Maddie, but was wary of the fact that the potatoes would surely be of some unnatural color. But right now, he hadn't a care in the world, he shifted to pull his arm around her, and tugged her head to his chest.

Soda led the twins, both with a big plate of food, to Darry and Maddie, who was still asleep. "Dinner!" The twins said at the same time to wake Madeline up, which worked.

She sat up just a little, saw the boys and smiled, and then rested her head back on Darry's chest. He was definitely blushing now.

Sure enough, they both had a plate of blue mashed potatoes, which Jack and Graham were very proud of.

LATER

"Darry, seriously, I can't put you out like that," Madeline said, continuing an argument that they'd been bickering like this for 10 minutes.

"Come on Maddie, you ain't puttin' us out," Darry pleaded, "Steve is here all the time and I'd much rather wake up to your face than his mug!"

"Slow down, Darrel," she smiled at him, "giving you three more mouths to feed isn't fair ok? We'll be alright, I promise."

"You owe me Madeline, you said it yourself,"

"When did I say that mister?"

"Earlier, not in so many words but, you said since you didn't call and all,"

She pursed her lips and tried to hide her smile, "Alright," she conceded and Darry wore a huge smile, "whatever Dar, I'm goin' to get some water," she said, getting up with a grin.

She walked into the kitchen and saw Ponyboy smiling, "What are you laughin' at?"

"You know you make him happy?" Ponyboy replied.

"What are you talking about?" She said curiously.

"Darry, we haven't seen so many smiles in one night since before mom and dad passed," He said with a sweet smile.

Madeline looked over at Darry sitting on the couch, "Hey Pony?"

"Yeah?"

"Think it's ok if I stick around a while?"

"I'd like that Maddie," he said softly, "it'd be nice to have a big sister around again, and Darry certainly wouldn't mind.

She laughed and gave him a hug before walking back towards Darry, who was playing catch with Jack. His little lion was flying back and forth between them. When he saw her come back in he hopped up and gave Jack his lion back.

"So I was thinkin', Soda's been sharin' a room with Pony anyways, so the boys can take his room, and you can take mine."

"Darry I can't take your room from you, where'll you sleep?"

"On the couch or somethin'," he said, "no big deal,"

"Darrel, the twins are so small, they'll barely take up any room at all, I'll be ok with them I promise."

"I suppose I should take what I can get then," Darry said with a sigh, and Madeline giggled at him.

They stood up and Darry took the bags in one armload to Soda's room and set them down. Madeline changed the twins into pajamas and, after dragging them away from Soda and Steve, she put them to bed. She tucked them both in, and snuggled their stuffed animals in next to them.

Madeline walked back downstairs and sat herself next to Darry, "You know, I thought about you a lot when I was at school," she said.

"I thought about you at school," he replied.

And for the rest of the night, they sat there, sometimes talking, sometimes just gazing at each other.

Maddie yawned as she listened to Darry's stories about Pony and Soda, not out of boredom, just exhaustion.

"Alright Maddie girl, that was your third yawn in the last 15 minutes, time for bed," he said smiling at her lips.

"Aw I'm fine," she whined, "come on I like your stories,"

"No ma'am, time for bed," he said and gently picked her up, carrying her upstairs and laying her down on his bed. He tucked the covers around her, and she snuggled right in, not even realizing she was in Darry's bed, which she'd opposed so vehemently earlier.

He started to walk out, but turned back and brushed her hair out off of her forehead and gently kissed the top of her head, "Goodnight, Maddie."